The present invention relates to a fluid dispenser with a child-resistant nozzle assembly, and more particularly to a fluid dispenser having a dispenser body which rotatably supports a nozzle cap rotatable relative to the body into various ON positions such as a spray position, a stream position and an OFF position. The child-resistant nozzle assembly is designed to prevent children from using the dispenser in an unintended manner.
Such dispensers present certain problems when children have access thereto. One such problem arises when children attempt to turn the nozzle cap from the OFF position to one of the other operative ON positions of the nozzle cap. It is therefore desirable to provide an arrangement wherein the nozzle cap can be locked against rotation relative to the dispenser body when in the OFF position, and further wherein the locking action will occur automatically when the nozzle cap is turned to such position. Additionally, unlocking of the nozzle cap should be easy for an adult to accomplish, yet very difficult if not virtually impossible for a child.
In order to prevent children from rotating such nozzle caps, various prior art constructions have been designed which require that two different manual functions must be carried out simultaneously in order to release the rotatable nozzle cap so that it can be moved into one of its ON operative modes. For example, various locking arrangements have been developed wherein a locking member supported by the dispenser body engages a cooperating locking member on the nozzle cap. With this type of device, it is necessary to move the locking member with one hand while rotating the nozzle with the other hand, which is a very difficult operation for a child to carry out.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,516,695 discloses a construction wherein a locking member automatically moves into locking position when the nozzle cap is rotated into an OFF position. A flex arm member extends downwardly beneath the lower or underside of the nozzle cap and nozzle end of the dispenser body. The flex arm is adapted to be pulled rearwardly of the device by the trigger finger of a user to move the locking member into a release position when the device is held in its normal position within the user's hand. The nozzle cap can then be rotated into the desired position. The disadvantage of such structure is that the flex arm cannot be readily seen by the user, and access to the flex arm is not convenient. Therefore, this prior art device is difficult even for an adult to use. Furthermore, the flex arm can be easily moved rearwardly by the tip of a finger from a point in front of the nozzle cap so that accidental release of the locking mechanism is possible.
A further problem encountered with nozzle caps of the type discussed above is that children have a tendency to suck on the outer end of the nozzle. This may result in some of the fluid in the dispenser entering into the child's mouth. This can be a dangerous situation since many of the fluids contained in such dispensers could if ingested make a child ill. It is noted that even if the nozzle is in OFF position and the dispenser has been previously used, there may be some residual dispenser fluid in the dispenser downstream of its shut-off valve. It is therefore an object of the invention to provide means for preventing children from sucking any significant amount of dispenser fluid from the discharge opening of the nozzle cap.